A new year often prompts individuals to start making healthy changes.  Nonetheless, with all of the diet fads around the block, where to begin can make for a difficult decision.

The simplest place to start is breakfast.

Instead of driving to Starbucks for the first meal of the day, try incorporating these healthy breakfast alternatives into your daily routine.

Toss the white bread in the trash and go ancient with your grains: Bread crafted from sprouted grain tends to be rough in texture, and is great for the gut. The increased amount of nutrients and low amounts of anti-nutrients aid in easier digestion.  To ensure your sprouted-grain bread remains fresh and nutrient-rich, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator.

Consider your options in the nut coffee creamer aisle: Many nut milks are high in the natural minerals Niacin and Iron.  Not only do these minerals help maintain healthy levels of energy, they also support a healthy metabolism.  If you’re looking for the closest carbon-copy to milk, almond milk offers the same thick and creamy consistency.

Pick up a jar of fresh salsa to top your eggs and hash browns with: Ketchup can be multifaceted.  Nonetheless, its ingredients containing synthetic sugars and dyes may make you think twice.  Fresh salsa not only adds texture, but incorporates additional nutrients and antioxidants, such as lycopene, that the multi-ingredient friend offers.  Lycopene offers a surplus of benefits, including anti-inflammation and cancer prevention.

Replace your dairy butter and incorporate more nut butters: Regular butter tends to be high in saturated fat, like most other dairy products.  In a recent study, it was shown that when trade offs were made for butters higher in mono and poly unsaturated fats, like those found in nuts, risks for diseases dropped 25 percent.